FIGHT CLUB
A film review by Christopher Null
Copyright 1999 Christopher Null
filmcritic.com
The first rule of FIGHT CLUB is “Do not talk about Fight Club.”
So I’m breaking the rule. I figured you’d want to hear about it.
Invoking memories of THE MATRIX, TWELVE MONKEYS, CRASH, and
AMERICAN BEAUTY, FIGHT CLUB has had a lot of hype behind it for close to
a year now. Is it deserved? I’m still trying to figure that one out.
I saw the film 6 hours ago. I liked what I saw. I’m just not sure
*what* I saw any more.
FIGHT CLUB is the story of Jack (Norton), a mild-mannered day-job
schlub/insomniac. To combat his lack of sleep, Jack takes comfort in
various support groups for ailments he doesn’t have, where he finds a
sudden freedom from life’s pressures, surrounded by people on the verge
of recovery or the verge of death. Soon enough, Jack becomes “addicted”
to the support groups, but things get worse when the freakish Marla
(Carter) tries to take over his space – obviously getting off on the
same thrill as Jack.
Soon, Jack is back where he started, and on a flight home from yet
another business trip, he encounters Tyler (Pitt), a nutty character
reminiscent of The Mad Hatter, William S. Burroughs, and The Unabomber
all rolled up into one. When Jack arrives at home, he finds his condo
mysteriously blown up, and he ends up moving in with Tyler in a craphole
of a house. Tyler takes Jack down a road of self-discovery, mainly
through violence, and together they found Fight Club, an underground
bareknuckled boxing society – a big step beyond “self-help.”
As the movie progresses, so does the darkness of Fight Club. Its
membership skyrockets, and its extracurricular activities turn
subversive. The explosive ending introduces a twist a la THE SIXTH
SENSE, which finally helps the movie make some sense.
Along the way, FIGHT CLUB is quite a ride. Director Fincher
(SEVEN) knows atmosphere, and atmosphere is what you get, starting right
with the opening credits, which feature a ride through the human brain.
Norton narrates the entire film, which puts you right inside his head.
The acting is superb, and Meat Loaf is quite hilarious as an enormous
man with no testicles and two giant breasts (I’d explain, but...).
FIGHT CLUB is not going to appeal to everyone the way SIXTH SENSE
did. It’s bloody and violent (hence the name), but it’s as unique a
film as you’re likely to see this year. I don’t wanna see any hate mail
about this review... or else we’re gonna have to take this outside.
RATING: ****
|------------------------------|
\ ***** Perfection \
\ **** Good, memorable film \
\ *** Average, hits and misses \
\ ** Sub-par on many levels \
\ * Unquestionably awful \
|------------------------------|
MPAA Rating: R
Director: David Fincher
Producer: Ross Bell, Cean Chaffin, Art Linson
Writer: Jim Uhls
Starring: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf,
Jared Leto
http://www.foxmovies.com/fightclub/
Christopher Null - null@filmcritic.com - http://www.filmcritic.com
Author - Network Administrator’s Reference, 1999
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0078825881/filmcriticcom
Have I seen this movie: Yes
And what did I think: I heard mixed reviews about Fight Club when it was in the theaters, but I was delighted by it when I caught in on video. It's a great film about a man (Ed Norton) whose life is slowly falling apart from being caught up in the mundane corporate world and we get to delve into his psyche. At first he just seems to be finding himself and the fight club that he creates with Tyler (Brad Pitt) is his way of finding power. Later on, with some strange plot twists, we find how deranged he really is. Ed Norton gives another excellent performance, as good as his 2 oscar nominees for his roles in American History X and Primal Fear. Also giving a great performance is Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter as the only main female role in the film. The film has lots of violence and blood, but it's not done for pure shock value or in any glamorous way. Rather, it's a reflection of what our society has become in a primal way. The film has many different levels and there are a few different ways of viewing it. After you know the ending of the film, and view it again, you'll pick up on new things. When the film was in the theaters, it was promoted the wrong way. It made you think that this was just about a violent men's fight club but there is so much more to this movie. I recommend checking it out for yourself, you shouldn't be disappointed.
I give Fight Club 4 out of 5 stars
Review written May 12, 2000
